1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage and a method of producing the acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage. In particular, the invention relates to an acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage having a favorable flavor and excellent survival of bifidobacteria during storage, as well as a method of producing such an acidic lactic acid bacteria beverage.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-82285, filed Mar. 27, 2008, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Bifidobacteria are bacteria that grow in the large intestine of humans and exhibit physiologically advantageous effects such as inhibiting pathogenic bacteria and regulating the intestinal functions, and because they perform an important role in maintaining people's health, the use of bifidobacteria in all manner of food products is widespread. In particular, acidic lactic acid bacteria beverages that include bifidobacteria cultures containing mainly milk as the culture medium provide a high nutritional value and are very popular.
However, bifidobacteria have different bacterial properties from typical lactic acid bacteria in that (1) they are obligate anaerobic bacteria that do not grow in environments where oxygen exists, and (2) they have low acid resistance. Accordingly, long-term storage within low pH environments such as within fermented milk or lactic acid bacteria beverages is difficult, and maintaining a high live bacterial count of bifidobacteria within such beverages is problematic.
Accordingly, tests have been conducted in which dietary fiber is added to improve the storage properties of the bifidobacteria. Patent Document 1 discloses that by adding bifidobacteria to a raw milk solution containing added insoluble dietary fiber and then cultivating the bifidobacteria, the survival rate for the bifidobacteria upon storage at 5° C. for 10 days is superior to that obtained when no insoluble dietary fiber is added.
Further, Patent Document 2 discloses that adding a decomposition product of the water-soluble dietary fiber galactomannan prior to fermentation promotes the growth of the bifidobacteria and also improves the storage and survival properties of the resulting fermented milk (see Patent Document 2). Patent Document 2 discloses that no effects were observed when the galactomannan decomposition product was added after fermentation, with the effects only achieved when addition was performed prior to fermentation. Furthermore, these effects were limited to galactomannan decomposition products, and the document discloses that no effects were obtained when inulin or indigestible dextrin were added prior to fermentation.
[Patent Document 1]    Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Sho 60-164432
[Patent Document 2]    International Publication No. WO 05/110107